'Survivor: Game Changers' returning castaways cast officially announced by CBS

By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 02/08/2017

Survivor's complete list of 20 castaways who will compete on the upcoming Game Changers edition has been formally announced.

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CBS has officially revealed the identities of the returning castaways who will be fighting for $1 million on Season 34, Survivor: Game Changers, which premieres with a special two-hour episode on Wednesday, March 8 at 8PM ET/PT. The show's debut marks the franchise's milestone 500th episode.

Survivorwill then resume airing in its usual time slot of 8-9PM ET/PT beginning on Wednesday, March 15.

"When we started this adventure, I don't think anybody would have predicted we'd still be going strong 17 years later!" Survivorhost and executive producer Jeff Probst said in a statement. "I'm as enthusiastic as ever and love the relationship we have with our audience. I think Survivorfans are really going to enjoy this season."

Survivor: Game Changers, filmed in the Mamanuca Islands in Fiji in June and July 2016, will feature the 20 castaways -- who have made some of the biggest moves in the history of the game -- divided into two tribes, Mana and Nuku, each comprised of 10 veteran players. Some of the returnees have even won Survivor before.

The castaways will once again compete in the hope of outwitting, outplaying and outlasting their opponents to ultimately be crowned the "Sole Survivor."

In mid-December, CBS formally announced about half the cast during the live reunion special for Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X. The network also aired a preview clip of the new season, revealing additional castaways.

"The players have evolved the game by pushing the boundaries with risky, game-changing moves; brilliant psychological manipulation; innovating methods for gathering information; and all-in, million-dollar moves at Tribal Council," Probst had said in the teaser video last year.

"The gameplay has become so unpredictable that getting to the end now demands risking it all. Next season, we are bringing together the most competitive players ever assembled to battle it out in Fiji... launching the game into its next evolution."

- Ciera Eastin, a 27-year-old from Salem, OR(Previously played on Season 31, Survivor: Second Chance, and finished in tenth place as well as Season 27, Survivor: Blood vs. Water, and placed fifth)

- Malcolm Freberg, a 29-year-old from Hermosa Beach, CA(Previously played on Season 25, Survivor: Philippines, and finished in fourth place as well as Season 26, Survivor: Caramoan -- Fans vs. Favorites, and placed ninth)

- Hali Ford, a 26-year-old from San Francisco, CA(Previously played on Season 30, Survivor: Worlds Apart, and finished in 11th place)

- Caleb Reynolds, a 28-year-old from Hopkinsville, KY(Previously played on Season 32, Survivor: Kaoh Rong -- Brains vs. Brawn vs. Beauty, and was medically evacuated before the merge)

- Troyzan Robertson, a 54-year-old from Miami, FL(Previously played on Season 24, Survivor: One World, and finished in eighth place)

- Jeff Varner, a 50-year-old from High Point, NC(Previously played on Season 2, Survivor: The Australian Outback, and finished in tenth place as well as Season 31, Survivor: Second Chance, and placed 17th)

- Andrea Boehlke, a 27-year-old from New York, NY(Previously played on Season 22, Survivor: Redemption Island, and finished in fifth place as well as Season 26, Survivor: Caramoan -- Fans vs. Favorites, and placed seventh)

- Brad Culpepper, a 47-year-old from Tampa, FL(Previously played on Season 27, Survivor: Blood vs. Water, and finished in 15th place)

- Sierra Dawn Thomas, a 29-year-old from Roy, UT(Previously played on Season 30, Survivor: Worlds Apart, and finished in fifth place)

- Cirie Fields, a 45-year-old from Norwalk, CT(Previously played on Season 12, Survivor: Panama, and finished in fourth place; Season 16, Survivor: Micronesia and placed third as well as Season 20, Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains, and placed 17th)

- Oscar "Ozzy" Lusth, a 34-year-old from Venice, CA(Previously played on Season 13, Survivor: Cook Islands, and finished as the runner-up; Season 16, Survivor: Micronesia, and finished in ninth place as well as Season 23, Survivor: South Pacific, and placed fourth)

- Zeke Smith, a 28-year-old from Brooklyn, NY(Previously played on Season 33, Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X, and finished in ninth place)

- James "J.T." Thomas, a 31-year-old from Mobile, AL(Previously won Season 18, Survivor: Tocantins, and played on Season 20, Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains, when he placed tenth)

- Tai Trang, a 52-year-old from San Francisco, CA (Previously played on Season 32, Survivor: Kaoh Rong -- Brains vs. Brawn vs. Beauty, and finished in third place)